Tesla Model S has broken the winter range record in a new wide-ranging cold weather range test conducted in Norway.
For years now, Norway has been conducting extensive range and efficiency tests in cold weather, which is a concern for many potential EV buyers living in regions with harsh winters.
This year’s test was the most extensive to date with 29 different EV models.
The Tesla Model S stole the show this year.
After not being sold in Europe for almost two years following a design refresh, The Model S joined the winter range test, and it did phenomenally.
The tests were conducted on this loop between Oslo and Hjerkinn at temperatures between -5C and -10C (via Norway’s Motor.no):
The Model S – which finished at 530km (329 miles), only 16.40% short of its advertised 634 km WLTP range – is the only vehicle on the list that passed 450 km (280 miles).
This is much better than most other vehicles tested, which saw their range affected closer to 20-30% by the cold weather.
The Mercedes EQE 300 is the closest competitor to the Tesla Model S that was tested, and it saw a massive 33% deviation from its advertised range.
Here are all the results for every EV model tested in the winter range test:
| Model | WLTP range | Achieved range | Percentage deviation, range | 500 km: consumption-battery-km left | 450 km: consumption-battery-km left | 400 km: consumption-battery-km left | 350 km: consumption-battery-km left | 300 km: consumption-battery-km left |
| Tesla Model S Standard | 634 | 530 | −16.40% | 17.3 2 15 | 18 8 49 | 17.7 18 111 | 18.3 26 158 | 17.2 40 241 |
| Mercedes EQE 300 | 614 | 409 | −33.39% | 21.6 0 0 | 22.4 4 25 | 20.9 24 132 | ||
| BMW i7 xDrive60 | 595 | 424 | −28.74% | 23.5 1 6 | 24.5 10 36 | 22.9 29 121 | ||
| NINE ET7 | 580 | 434 | −25.17% | 22.7 8 37 | 24.8 18 83 | 20.3 35 117 | ||
| BMW i4 eDrive40 | 565 | 434 | −23.19% | 18.6 4 18 | 18.9 15 44 | 17.9 31 122 | ||
| Tesla Model X Plaid | 543 | 444 | −18.23% | 20.9 9 45 | 21.1 20 98 | 19.8 36 181 | ||
| Nissan Ariya 2WD | 533 | 400 | −24.95% | 20.1 10 37 | 18.8 30 119 | |||
| Volkswagen ID.5 Pro | 526 | 378 | −28.14% | 20.2 4 14 | 19.7 21 80 | |||
| Bid Han | 521 | 406 | −22.07% | 20.1 1 3 | 20.7 11 55 | 19 29 149 | ||
| Hongqi E-HS9 prototype 120 kWt | 515 | 389 | −24.47% | 28.1 7 23 | 26.7 24 96 | |||
| Skoda Enyaq Coupe RS | 510 | 338 | −33.73% | 21.1 13 46 | ||||
| Toyota BZ4X 2WD | 503 | 323 | −35.79% | 19.1 3 0 | ||||
| Voyage Free | 501 | 391 | −21.96% | 26.4 7 14 | 25.0 26 68 | |||
| Hongqi E-HS9 | 465 | 303 | −34.84% | 29 0 0 | ||||
| Kia Niro EV | 460 | 343 | −25.43% | 17.6 19 54 | ||||
| Tesla Model Y 2WD | 455 | 337 | −25.93% | 16.9 11 42 | ||||
| Hyundai Ioniq 5 4WD | 454 | 345 | −24.01% | 20.1 18 56 | ||||
| Mercedes EQB 250 | 452 | 334 | −26.11% | 19.2 11 37 | ||||
| MG ZS LR | 440 | 352 | -20.00% | 18.2 2 6 | 18.7 18 45 | |||
| JAC e-JS4 | 433 | 323 | −25.40% | 12.6 5 – | ||||
| BMW iX1 | 428 | 337 | −21.26% | 18.3 8 27 | ||||
| Renault Megane | 428 | 318 | −25.70% | 18.1 1 0 | ||||
| MG 4 | 425 | 338 | −20.47% | 17.7 14 38 | ||||
| Kia EV6 GT | 424 | 349 | −17.69% | 20.8 17 50 | ||||
| BYD Atto 3 | 420 | 311 | −25.95% | 19.6 4 15 | ||||
| Volkswagen ID Buzz | 408 | 310 | −24.02% | 24.8 0 0 | ||||
| MG 5 | 380 | 313 | −17.63% | 18.3 2 3 | ||||
| MG Marvel R | 370 | 308 | −16.76% | 21.7 4 – | ||||
| Maxus Euniq6 | 354 | 317 | −10.45% | 21.1 4 17 |
City Dwellers’s Take
These test results have come at a pretty good time for people in the Northeast in North America since we are expecting a massive cold front here in the coming days.
The results are what you should probably expect at -5C to -10C (14F), but this weekend we are going to experience -33C where I am in Shawinigan, Quebec. That’s -24F.
At these extreme cold temperature, you can expect closer to 40% drop in range – even in the latest Tesla Model S. But that’s not just an electric vehicle thing. Every car is less efficient in extreme cold.
Be careful out there this weekend. Frostbite is a real thing.
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